Building begins on school of music

CONSTRUCTION work on the €60 million Cork School of Music is to begin immediately after the contract with the Government’s private partners on the deal was agreed yesterday.

After four years in temporary accommodation, the announcement by Education Minister Mary Hanafin will be music to the ears of the school’s 2,500 students and almost 100 staff.

Department of Education officials have finalised the contract with German firm Hochtief, which will build and maintain the facility on Union Quay.

The company took over the project last November after the department’s original partners Jarvis ran into financial difficulty.

The terms of the contract signed yesterday are for completion of the premises by September, 2007.

Ms Hanafin said the school will be a significant and welcome contribution to the overall regeneration of the city centre and docklands area of Cork City.

Teachers’ Union of Ireland Cork colleges branch secretary John O’Sullivan said the news was hugely welcome after a long campaign by members who have endured tough conditions over the last few years in up to 17 different locations. Cork School of Music is a constituent college of Cork Institute of Technology, whose director Dr Brendan Murphy said it was great the contract has been agreed during Cork’s term as European Capital of Culture and that the new landmark public building will be part of its legacy.

The facilities will include specialised tuition rooms, lecture rooms, rehearsal hall, recording studio, a drama suite and library, and the building will accommodate 400 full-time and 2,000 part-time students.

The issue has been a huge source of political pressure for the Government, particularly for Fianna Fáil TDs in the city and especially Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin.

Mr Martin announced plans to redevelop Cork School of Music in October 1999.

Plans for a bigger project, to replace the existing building, were announced the following year with the Public Private Partnership given the go-ahead in April 2001.

Since then, planning delays, funding shortages, European red tape and the difficulties faced by Jarvis have slowed progress on the project.

“It is incredible how many things have held up this project, but people kept the pressure on and it has finally paid off,” said CSM teacher and campaigner Gerry Kelly.